La Sequa Wetlands, a Birdwatcher’s Paradise

For birdwatchers… amateur or experienced… Ecuador’s La Segua Wetlands redefines paradise. After boating across the bay with Casa Ceibo’s private, bilingual guide, Casa Ceibo guests will be driven down a country road that’s saddled with hamlets, mango orchards and corn farms, to reach the watershed of the Chone River.

In the green season, these wetlands comprise 4,300+ acres of natural habitat, a veritable playground for 164 recorded species of birds. Perched atop one of the wetland watchtowers, it’s possible to spot anything from Snail Kites to Wood Storks, Red-billed Yaguasa, Aguapeaso Cocky and more.

Casa Ceibo’s bilingual guide interprets La Segua’s points of interest on behalf of a local guide. Here, guests may relax under a watchtower’s shade or canoe quietly through the marshy grasses of what the Ramsar Ecological Convention has named as one of the world’s most significant wetlands.

This Casa Ceibo tour isn’t just for birdwatchers — the soft, subtle beauty of this wetscape is an artist’s dream. Whether painting your Ecuadorian memories of this experience on canvas or capturing them with your camera, our guests will come away with a sincere appreciation for the intricacies of the wetlands and this prolific bird estuary.

Monticristi & More, Home of the Panama Hat
Everyone’s heard of “Panama Hats,” but what most people don’t realize is that they’re made in Ecuador … just an hour’s drive from Casa Ceibo. That may be reason enough to hit the road and head to the town of Montecristi, where Casa Ceibo guests can not only buy a hat to their liking, but also learn about the craft from the Monticristi weavers.

The Montecristi Panama Hat has a texture like linen. Shops selling these authentic hats — plus jewelry, hammocks, handbags, furniture, ceramics, wood carvings, and other Ecuadorian-made products — line Montecristi’s quaint main street. This is the perfect place for strolling in and out of these little stores, and, perhaps sampling “pickled mangos,” a local snack sold by eager vendors.

After a bit of shopping, Casa Ceibo guests may want to pay a visit to the museum and house of Eloy Alfaro, a famed, yet highly controversial liberal president who was burned alive by conservatives in 1912. Despite a frightening end to life, Alfaro spent his presidency initiating major reforms, and building a railroad that ran from Guayaquil to Quito.

No trip to an Ecuadorian town is complete without visiting at least one historical church. Montecristi has several, with the most impressionable among the options being the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy).